Per Mertesacker: 'Arsenal want Wojciech Szczesny back after Roma spell'

Per Mertesacker has said that he and his Arsenal teammates would love to see Wojciech Szczesny return to North London when his season-long loan with Roma is completed.

The Polish goalkeeper, 26, hinted that his future lies in Rome after the arrival of Petr Cech in the summer pushed him further down the pecking order.

"Wojciech wants to compete. I think he's a good goalkeeper and he can still develop," Mertesacker is quoted as saying by The Mirror.

"The team wants him back - that's good for him. He's shown great character already in this team and I think he has got a bright future."

Szczesny was dropped by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in January after being caught smoking in the showers at Southampton, directly after a 2-0 defeat.